National Championships Bound: 5 Questions With the DU Women’s Triathlon Team

The women's triathlon team poses for a photo in front of the University of Denver sign. Senior captains Clara Normand (right from center) and Olivia Ebenstein (left from center) sat down with the DU Newsroom to reflect on the season and the sport overall before making the trip to the Sunshine State.

The University of Denver women’s triathlon team is making the 1,800-mile-plus trek to Clermont, Florida, this week to compete for a national title.

Denver will enter the 2024 Collegiate National Championships as the No. 4-ranked program after placing third at the Western Regional Championships on Oct. 12.

Last year, Denver finished fourth overall, with then-freshman Maira Carreau winning the first individual national championship title in program history.

Head Coach Barbara Perkins says she likes where the team is positioned competitively at this point in the season, especially after a strong finish at regionals last month.

“We believe in the potential that we have as a team. Moments where you’re tested bring you back to your ‘why’ and refocus you on what you need to work on and achieve to get to the ultimate goal,” Perkins says. “I think it’s been a great learning season, and I think we’re in a really good place heading into the weekend.”

Denver and its competitors will need to adapt to a new format. Due to course damage caused by the recent hurricanes, the competition schedule and location of the 750-meter open water swim have changed.

Nationals now begin on Friday at the Clermont Watersports Complex. The swim result on Friday will lead to a staggered start on Saturday at Lake Louisa State Park, where they will complete the 20K bike and 5K run. 

The team is familiar with the run and bike course, as everyone on the team has competed there at least once previously, either as an individual or as a collegian. Denver has raced at the venue in the Clermont Challenge as part of its spring schedule every year, and the program’s first-ever race came at the location in March 2021.

“We know the course. We know how to take advantage of it and play to our strengths,” Perkins says.

This weekend will also mark the final collegiate regular-season race for Perkins’ first recruiting class four years ago.

Perkins and senior captains Clara Normand and Olivia Ebenstein sat down with the DU Newsroom to reflect on the season and the sport overall before making the trip to the Sunshine State.

How have you and the team grown this season?

Normand: Training started off on a really positive note, and then we had some hurdles. Our first race didn’t go as planned, and we regrouped, reset and thought about the steps we needed to take (to reach our goals). That was a defining moment. I think the adversity we faced prepared us to face (any challenges at nationals).

I really wanted to enjoy every little thing this season. Through every race, good or bad result, I was able to find the things that are precious about the sport and enjoy those. I think that it’s been a special season for me because I was able to take it all in.

Ebenstein: I've grown this season, and with it being my last one, I’m just trying to take it in a little bit more. 

As for the team, I think every race we’ve gotten more comfortable with each other, whether that's friendship or skill-wise, and each race we build off each other. So, I think nationals is perfect timing for us to pull off something special.

How does the team’s depth help you heading into nationals?

Perkins: In the beginning of the season, when (the team was) split with the Southern Hills triathlon and an event in Canada, we still did really well in both races. 

I still don’t think we have shown our full potential. It’s really exciting to still have a lot of energy left to give on the racecourse and explode into the championship portion of the season. 

Normand: It’s the best thing we can have, especially with this new format. We can plan ahead for the bike part (of the race) and strategically work together. I know that on any given day any of the girls can place.

Ebenstein: There’s a lot of good people on the team, and I think on any given day it could be a mix of the seven of us for different finishing positions. 

How does being familiar with the course at Clermont benefit the team?

Normand: It’s mostly going to be a benefit for the bike because we're one of the strongest biking teams. We’ll already know what order we're going to come out of the water in, and we can use that to our advantage. So, I think if we can race smart, it's going to be a huge advantage.

Ebenstein: I think it’s super important to our strengths. We know when the bike course is slightly on a gradient … especially the more technical parts, where in past years, you can (fall back) if you're in a bad position. I think knowing that already will really help us.

What’s the biggest challenge of being a triathlete, and what’s the best thing about competing in the sport?

Perkins: There's a quote that says, “seeing the trees through the forest, and the forest through the trees.” Sometimes when you're in the middle of it, it's hard to have that perspective. When you get into this part of the season, you're tired and broken down, we're in midterms, and the weather's starting to change—and so it can feel a little bit overwhelming. It’s important to take in the smaller moments, take breaks when you can, enjoy time with your friends, and then come back and try to be re-energized, refocus on the work and really celebrate the highs.

I think the best thing is there's always something different and something interesting going on. It's not just one sport where you get locked into the nuances. There are always things that you can change up and focus on—it’s never the same.

Normand: There’s a commitment that you need to have, and that comes with sacrifices. It’s a lifestyle. You’re not a triathlete in the morning and then not one at night. 

I really enjoy the diversity that you get from training in three sports. I'd also say the people—the team is so special. Because it's such a demanding sport, we spend so much time together. It’s a family, and that’s definitely the biggest win.

Ebenstein: Balancing it with everything else in life. Triathlon is not just two- to three-hour practices each day; it involves sleep, eating and there’s a lot of fatigue. Balancing three different sports at a time can be difficult.

What I like best about the sport is that it’s taken me all around the world, and it’s helped me meet the coolest people. I feel like I entered with a great team, but I feel proud of the team that I’m leaving. We’ve really come a long way, and it’s really cool to see and be part of that.

What is your favorite event?

Normand: I like the bike a lot because that’s where you get to play smart and add in the team component—like riding in a pack with your teammates. At regionals, it was me and my sister (freshman Beatrice Normand) at the front, and then I attacked, and she followed, and for 30 seconds, it was just two sisters ahead. That’s where it feels special.

Ebenstein: Probably the run. I think it’s the one where I have the most control. It’s just me on the course, where the swim and bike have so many uncontrollable variables. When I get to the run, I can reassess where I am in the race and push myself.